Today nearly every data acquisition or communications system relies on digital signal processing e.g. to improve signal quality, data rate, to compensate analog impairments etc. Analog-to-digital converters are employed to convert the original analog or quasi-analog signal into bits. One example of such a system is the so-called digital microphone. Digital microphones in mobile communication devices offer many advantages over analog microphones. Problems associated with analog devices such as hum noise and ground loops may be avoided with digital microphones. Further, the digital microphone may be placed anywhere, i.e. an automobile, and avoid all problems typically associated with an analog microphone.
The output of the digital microphone (or any other source) may be input to other processing blocks of, e.g. a mobile communication device. The desired output of the digital microphone may be driven by various outside influences such as legacy issues or customer specifications such that the other processing blocks may utilize the output signal. The desired output of the digital microphone is typically tied to a specific structure of processing modules within the digital microphone, i.e. specific structures of analog-to-digital converters.